For Bianca Adler, reaching the summit of Mount Everest was not simply a matter of climbing higher. It was about finishing something she had been forced to leave unfinished. The 18-year-old from Melbourne reached the 8,849-metre summit at around 2:20am Nepal time, becoming the youngest Australian to summit Everest. Her historic climb came exactly one year after she had been forced to abandon her first attempt when she was just 400 metres from the top.
The Everest summit that slipped away
Bianca’s connection with mountains began during her childhood in the French Alps. By the time she was a teenager, climbing had already become a major part of her life. She had reached the summits of Manaslu and Ama Dablam by the age of 16, building an impressive record at an unusually young age.
In May 2025, Bianca climbed to about 8,450 metres during her first attempt. The summit was tantalisingly close, but the conditions deteriorated rapidly.
Visibility disappeared as powerful winds whipped snow around her. Her hands and toes began to lose feeling, raising concerns about frostbite. “I couldn’t see anything; there was snow blowing everywhere,” she wrote after the attempt.
The decision to turn around was devastating, but Bianca knew continuing could put her life at risk. “It was an extremely tough decision, but I always want to choose life over a potential summit.”
She made another attempt the following night but exhaustion eventually stopped her. The expedition became even more serious when Bianca and her father, Paul, were diagnosed with high-altitude pulmonary oedema and dehydration.
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